Principle
by BuiltOnHope
Summary: (Part Two of the Proximity Trilogy) The elite Rebellion team known as Rogue One is trapped in a safe house on a planet under Imperial control. As time runs out, Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso confront uncomfortable truths. RebelCaptain
1. Chapter 1

None of them knew quite when things had gone wrong, but it was obvious that they had.

Screams rained down on their ears. A building to their right collapsed, propelling glass and rubble twenty feet into the air. It crushed several Stormtroops, probably more civilians. It wasn't supposed to go like this.

This was a simple recon mission into the heart of Imperial territory. Nothing special. Nothing Cassian Andor hadn't done a million times before and nothing his team couldn't handle. The only reason the whole of Rogue One was there was the overwhelming number of Imperial Troops stationed on the planet.

Shortly after landing, their ship was converted to scrap metal by an Ion Torpedo. They'd gone into the city as planned, hoping to buy a ride out on a freighter, or maybe commandeer their own craft. The informant they'd been sent to rescue was already dead, and his vital information on the Empire had died with him. Troops had flooded the alley way, sealing off the exits. The only way out was to fight their way through the Stormtroopers, so that's what they did.

They'd established a rendezvous point when they entered the city: a safe house bought and paid for by the Alliance some years ago, during the time of the Jedi. The trouble was getting there.

"Where're the others!?" Cassian shouted over the din.

Jyn Erso took a quick look around. She didn't see anyone. "I don't know!" She fired several more shots through the Troopers, gaining ground toward the safe house. "We have to hope they made it!"

She felt a hand close around her arm and drag her into another alley. Cassian pushed her ahead of him, and she got the idea immediately. He ducked behind a trash bin and provided cover for her while she scaled the side of the two-story building. He climbed up after her, feeling the hot lasers barely miss him, hearing her return fire.

He made it to the roof. Clutching her wrist, he yanked her in the direction they needed to go. Blaster bolts narrowly missed them. They dashed across the rooftops. They leapt over alleys and narrow streets, nearly missing their footing twice.

A searing pain erupted in Jyn's shoulder. She cried out. Cassian turned back and saw her clutching her arm. Her shirt was singed. She pushed the pain down and kept going.

Jyn could see the street that their destination was on. She told Cassian, and swung herself over the side of the roof. She found enough foot and handholds to easily scramble down. She dropped to the ground, her shoulder throbbing. She stood with her back pressed against the wall, blaster held in front of her to give Cassian enough cover to safely descend the building.

She heard a sharp cry. She whirled around. Cassian was crouched on the ground, clutching his side, his face twisted in pain. She shoved her blaster in her belt and wrapped an arm around his waist.

He gripped her wrist and pushed her away. "Leave it!" he snapped. "Go!"

They didn't have time to argue. She ignored his order, grabbed his arm, and draped it over her shoulder. He leaned his weight against her. His left hand pressed against the wound.

Jyn couldn't shoot a blaster and help him at the same time. She sent up Chirrut's prayer, and dove out of the alley into the road crawling with Troopers.

The Imperial troops dropped dead, all shot clean through their chests. The barrel of a gun peaked through the window of the safe house. The door flew open and Bodhi Rook darted out and wrapped Cassian's other arm around his own shoulders. Together, Bodhi and Jyn dragged him inside the building as more Stormtroopers flooded the street. Chirrut Imwe slammed the door shut and barred it.

K-2SO pointed to the half-open door to their left. Jyn nodded, and they helped Cassian through it and onto the bed pushed against the wall. Chirrut and Baze Malbus followed them inside.

"What happened?" Bodhi demanded as Jyn grabbed a knife from her belt and cut Cassian's shirt away from the wound.

"What does it look like!?" K-2 snapped.

She examined the wound quickly. "Get me something to clean it with." Bodhi jumped up. "And something to stop the bleeding!" she called after him.

Cassian's breath was coming in sharp gasps. His face was twisted in pain, his mouth pinched shut to stop himself from crying out. He looked at her, his eyes focusing on her own wound. "Jyn," he gasped, "your shoulder."

She shook her head. She wasn't injured as badly as he was.

Bodhi returned with what she needed. She looked at the crude medical supplies as her stomach turned. Antiseptic liquid, clean rags, medical tape, and a roll of bandages. A syringe filled with what Bodhi claimed was a numbing agent was the only half-way civilized instrument she had.

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Go stand guard," she said. "They know we're here."

Baze, Bodhi, and Chirrut respectfully retreated from the room. When K-2 didn't move, Baze grabbed his arm and tried to pull him out. The droid wouldn't budge.

"K," Jyn said, turning to the droid, "go. He'll be okay."

"There's an 87.5% chance that you'll do something foolish and injure him further," K-2 replied.

Jyn sighed. "K-2, I swear-"

"K," Cassian said, "it's okay. I've had worse."

K-2 hesitated. "That may be true, but your odds of surviving are-"

"K, wait in the other room."

K-2 hesitated again before finally stepping out. He slammed the door behind him. Jyn took the syringe and injected half the dose into Cassian's bloodstream. She set it aside, and wet a cloth with the antiseptic liquid.

"This is going to hurt," she warned.

Cassian swallowed hard and nodded. He gripped the side of the bed and took a deep breath. Jyn braced herself, and pressed the cloth onto the wound. He tensed and cried out. She did her best to ignore it, pushing his pain far enough away for her to focus on what needed to be done. She hated this. It seemed unnatural for him to be showing so much pain.

She finished cleaning it as best she could. As long as it didn't get infected, he should be alright. She pressed another clean cloth directly over the injury.

"Sit up," she ordered.

He took a deep breath, and obeyed. She wrapped the bandage around him, keeping it pulled tight; applying what she hoped was the correct amount of pressure to stop the flow of blood. She tucked the loose end underneath another part of the bandage.

Jyn looked at his face. He was staring at her, trying to mask the pain in his eyes with a forced smile.

"Don't do that," she sighed.

His smile fell. "Alright." He nodded to her shoulder. "Your turn."

"It's not bad," she objected.

"If I have to put up with being taken care of, you do, too."

Reluctantly, she handed over the cloths and cleaning agent. She pulled the collar of her shirt down, exposing the wound. Cassian's movements were tight and slow. He dampened a clean cloth with antiseptic and pressed it against her burned skin. She hissed. He paused and looked her in the face.

The look in his eyes distracted her. It couldn't have been more obvious that the pain she was in hurt him more than his own. He dabbed at the injury gently before tearing another cloth in half and placing it over the wound, taping it to her skin to keep it in place.

"Does it feel any better?" he asked.

She nodded. "A bit. I'm not worried about my shoulder, though."

He shifted his weight, and winced. "I'll be fine. Just worry about getting out of here."

"I'll talk to the others," she said. "Get some rest."

"With all those Stormtroopers out there? Not a chance."

Jyn sighed and pulled her shirt back over the bandage. Together, they stood and walked out to face their team. Baze was at the window, gun in his hands. Chirrut sat at the table, his staff held out to the side. Bodhi was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"How bad is it?" Chirrut asked.

"I'll live," Cassian replied.

Jyn didn't know who he thought he was kidding. His posture, his eyes, all clearly showed the pain he was in. He may have been able to fool strangers, but not Rogue One. Whether he liked it or not, they knew him too well.

"Take a seat, Captain," Chirrut said. "We were just discussing how to escape."

Cassian took the seat on the opposite end of the table, thankful for an excuse. He faced the door. "What are they doing?" he asked.

"Standing around," Baze replied. "They've put up blockades on both ends of the street. There's no getting past them that way."

"What are our options?" Jyn asked.

"Limited," K-2 replied. "I'm not optimistic about our odds. If we could-"

"If?" Bodhi asked.

"We're looking at a lot of 'ifs'."

"There is always a way out with the Force," Chirrut said.

Jyn leaned her good shoulder against the wall and crossed her arms. She surveyed the room silently, examining the faces of her friends. Truthfully, she wasn't too worried. They'd made it off of Scarif; they could get out of this.

"When will they attack?" Bodhi asked. "I thought they already would."

No one had a good answer. It didn't feel right that the Imperial troops were stalling.

"We need to make the most of the time we've got," Jyn said. "Ideas?"

"Split up," Bodhi suggested.

"No," Chirrut said. "The Force is stronger if we all stick together."

"We can shoot our way out," Baze said.

"We'll die before we make it to the end of the street," K-2 argued.

Barked orders from the Troopers outside added to the nervous atmosphere of the cramped safe house. They all looked at Cassian. He was staring at the door. His face wore the scowl that meant he was deep in thought. Jyn observed Bodhi, Baze, and K-2 watch him. There was an unspoken understanding that in situations like this, Cassian Andor was the leader. Rogue One had complete faith in him.

"Bodhi," he finally said, "can you build a transmitter?"

Jyn immediately caught on. "You think anyone will hear it?"

"I don't know." He turned to their pilot. "Can you build a transmitter strong enough to get a message to the next system?"

"I… I don't know. It depends on what I've got to work with."

"The next system?" Jyn asked.

"They're part of the Alliance."

"You think they'd be listening?"

"They just might." Cassian paused. "Bodhi, build a receiver first. We need to hear what the Stormtroopers' next move is ahead of time. Baze, keep watch on the street. If they so much as sneeze, I want to know about it. K, you may have parts that Bodhi needs."

"So that's what I'm reduced to? A scrap pile?" K-2 asked indignantly.

"Without those parts, we'll all be scrap."

K-2 hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But only if you promise I'll get them back."

"If there's anything I can do about it, you will," Cassian promised. "Chirrut, see if you can… sense anything. Jyn, make sure everyone's weapons are operating at optimal capacity. We may need them before we get outta here. I'll help Bodhi."

They each got to work on their assignments. Jyn cleaned everyone's weapons. Cassian, K-2, and Bodhi worked at the table, building a steadily growing pile of parts out of anything they could dismantle. She felt Cassian's eyes on her every so often, making sure she was alright. She wished he'd worry about himself.

An hour passed before Bodhi had the homemade receiver functioning properly. They tuned in to the Trooper's frequency. Chirrut was put in charge of making certain nothing they said went unheard.

Night fell two hours later. The Stormtroopers still hadn't moved. Light glinted off their helmets, positioned stubbornly behind the barriers on both ends of the street. The transmitter had been made and remade twice, but Bodhi was certain he'd nearly perfected it.

Jyn finished sharpening her knife for the fifth time. She looked over at Cassian. His face was paler, his posture bent. He needed rest.

She stood up and walked behind him. She watched Bodhi work for a moment, considering how to get Cassian to take it easy. The bandage around his side was dark red. It hadn't been changed since she'd first put it on.

"Cassian," she said. Her voice sounded strange after the long hours of silence. "You need to change the bandage."

He merely glanced at her. "It's okay."

Jyn and Bodhi shared a look. He caught on. "Uh… yeah, Cassian, I can take it from here. Take care of your side."

Cassian looked from Jyn to Bodhi and back again. He let out a defeated sigh, and stood. The sudden movement made the room spin, and he stumbled. Jyn quickly moved in front of him, steadying him with her hands on his shoulders. She held him until he straightened and met her eyes. The worry on her face gave him an entirely different sort of dizziness.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He shook himself and nodded. She dropped her hands and nodded toward the bedroom. He obeyed her silent order, and she followed him.

As Cassian crossed the room he heard the soft click of a door being closed. He sat down on the bed and faced her. She walked over to him and sat facing him. After a moment of silence, she nodded at his shirt. He rolled his eyes and pealed it off.

She got right to work, unwrapping the bandage and pulling it away from the injury. He bit back a curse as she dabbed more disinfectant onto the open wound. To distract himself from the burning pain, he watched her.

Jyn's face was hard as stone, but he'd learned to read her. He deciphered her like he would an ancient language. Her focused stare revealed an underlying note of fear, her gentle touches betrayed concern.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked.

She didn't meet his gaze. "It's alright."

She placed a clean cloth directly over the wound and began wrapping a fresh bandage around him. To do that, she had to close the gap between them. Jyn found that she didn't mind the lack of space nearly as much as she used to.

She tied the bandage off and sat back. She stared at him for a while, watching him read her. His eyes betrayed very little of the resolved, unfeeling Rebel Captain that he so often seemed to be. He was a different man; a more personal, more caring one. She'd take Cassian Andor over the Rebel Captain any day.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

She smirked. "Other than the Imperial troops surrounding us and the impossible odds stacked in their favor?"

He didn't return her smile. "There's something else. What is it?"

Jyn hesitated. "I… I wish you'd stop acting like you've got something to hide. It's infuriating."

He pondered her words for a moment. She felt his hand take hers. "Alright. What would you like me to be?"

"Yourself," she replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

A look of tragic sadness filled his eyes. "You wouldn't like it," he promised with such conviction she wondered if it was true.

"Will you let me decide that for myself?" she asked.

"There's not much of me left to like, Jyn."

She considered that for a moment. What had he been like before the Rebellion had taken who he was and warped it? She couldn't imagine it. He'd always struck her as the type of man who had been born with conviction in his eyes and a blaster in his hands. But she knew that couldn't be true. He'd been someone once; someone who had loved more than just the idea that he fought for.

How was she any different, really? She didn't know who she had been before Saw had trained her up like a fighter. She hadn't had time to find out.

She felt the tips of his fingers trail down the side of her face. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes never leaving hers.

"We're a mess," he murmured.

It reminded her of something her mother had said so many years ago. It brought a happy memory with it. "We don't have to be," she replied. "All our broken pieces may not be what they used to be, but that doesn't mean we can't make something new out of them."

Cassian's eyes flickered with surprise. He thought about what he could make out of his own broken pieces. The faces of the people he'd killed, the lives he'd destroyed, flooded his mind. He couldn't make anything good out of that.

Jyn gently touched his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment. It had been longer than he could remember since someone had touched him the way she did. He reached up and took her hand in his, opening his eyes to look at her again. The dim light sparkled in her grey-green eyes and cast a halo of gold across her hair.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. It sounded rather lame, even to him, but she smiled anyway. He realized that not many people could have told her that. No one that she'd believe, anyway. He wasn't sure whether to feel sad that so much beauty had gone unappreciated, or pleased that he was the man who could finally call attention to it.

The compliment was his attempt at breaching the gap, salvaging who he had been, and she appreciated it. It would take longer for her to believe that a man like him could truly think a woman like her was beautiful, but the way he looked at her had her almost convinced.

"When we get out of here," Cassian said, "I'm going to take time off, and take you somewhere nice. No Troopers, no Rebels, just us."

That sounded better than she was entirely comfortable with. A soft smile lit up her eyes, and she nodded. His promise carried risk; the risk that he may not like the person she was underneath the grime and broken pieces that her life had reduced her to. But she was willing to risk it.

He ran a hand down the side of her face and neck, and leaned in to kiss her.

The door banged open. "We have a problem," Bodhi said.

They both turned to look at the pilot. His eyes were wide with fear. Jyn and Cassian shared a confused glance, and stood as one. Cassian grabbed his ruin shirt and pulled it back on over his head, careful not to wince.

"What's wrong?" Jyn demanded, following Bodhi out of the room.

"We have discovered why the Stormtroopers haven't attacked," Chirrut said. "Darth Vader has just landed."


	2. Chapter 2

Cassian felt a throb of panic inside his chest. "Vader?" he demanded. "Are you sure?"

Bodhi nodded. "We're sure."

They'd all heard the stories about the rebels Darth Vader caught. He had ways of getting information out of the minds of people that couldn't be prepared for, couldn't be resisted. There was more than just their lives at stake.

Cassian immediately took charge. "Bodhi, put K back together! Baze, when he's done, rip open the ceiling. We're going out the roof."

Bodhi got to work as quickly as his hands would let him. He reattached K-2's arm first, and shoved wires back into his head. It took him a full ten minutes to fix the droid and switch him back on.

"Well, I'm glad I could… why are still in the safe house?" K-2 asked. "Did Jyn mess up our escape plan?"

"K, Vader's here," Cassian said. "We're leaving. Now." He looked at Baze. "Do it."

Baze stood in the middle of the room and shot blaster bolts in a circular motion through the roof until a large chunk of plaster fell. The gaping hole revealed the black sky twinkling with the stars. Shouts of the Stormtroopers filled their ears as Bodhi and Cassian pushed the table directly underneath the opening.

Baze went first, and returned the fire of the Troopers. Chirrut went up next, then Bodhi. Jyn stood on the table and gripped the ceiling, propelling herself through the gap. Cassian went up after her, and K-2 brought up the rear.

Cassian took a half-second to get his bearings, and grabbed his nearest friend, shoving them in the direction they needed to go. Red lasers flashed past them. He shouted his orders. The team took off, heading North.

They'd gained a quarter mile of ground. The rooftop stretched for two hundred yards. Jyn ran beside Cassian. She let out a sharp cry. Cassian felt her snatched from his side. He whirled around.

She was held three feet from the ground. Her hands were wrapped around her neck. An expression of pure terror darkened her face. A figure clad in black stood behind her, hand outstretched.

"JYN!" Cassian shouted. A wave of horror rose inside him. He started to run back to her. A metal hand closed around his arm, keeping him in place. "JYN! K, LET GO!"

"The Force moves darkly around him," Chirrut said. "He is a Jedi fallen from grace."

"He's going to kill Jyn!" Bodhi shouted.

Baze threw his blaster up and took aim at the black figure.

"Go!" they heard Jyn choke out. "R-run!"

"Rogue One!" a deep voice thundered. "Where is the Rebel base?"

No one spoke. Cassian struggled against K-2's iron grasp, desperate to get to Jyn.

"You will take nothing from us," Chirrut said, stepping to the front of the group. "Go back to the Empire."

A glowing red light, steady and menacing, appeared in Vader's hand. It cast a dark light on him. A black cape fluttered around him in the night breeze. The red light glinted off of a black, half-mechanical suit and terrifying helmet. The eyes and mouth were cast in shadow, distorting the already horrifying image of the last remnant of the Jedi.

Cassian watched him move the hot blade beside Jyn's face. He yanked his blaster from his belt and crashed it against K-2's head. K let go. Cassian ran half the distance and aimed the weapon at the Imperial lord. He fired several shots directly at the horrific helmet. Vader blocked every one with a swish of his lightsaber. He waved his hand and the blaster flew out of Cassian's hand and over the ledge of the roof.

"Take me!" In his panic, Cassian barely heard his own words. "I have all the Rebellion's information! You don't need her!"

"Don't!" K-2 snapped.

"I will take you," Vader promised. "All of you. But thank you for telling me who is… dispensable." He drew his saber back.

"Jyn, no!" Cassian dove to grab her, knowing he didn't have enough time. The distance was too great. The lightsaber cut through the air in a red arc, slicing for her neck.

A roar rumbled through the night. A blast of hot air forced Cassian back. Vader's focus was lost; he dropped Jyn. He was blown off the roof, black cape rippling around him. The scream of the engine diminished. Cassian scrambled to his feet. He ran to Jyn and wrapped an arm around her. She coughed violently.

Electronic light flooded the roof. He looked up and saw the door of a freighter held open. A woman held her hand out, motioning them all to come.

"Get in!" she shouted over the whine of the engine.

Cassian didn't have time to place where he'd seen the freighter before, or where he knew the woman from. He pulled Jyn to her feet and dashed for the ship. Everyone else jumped in before them. They held the support beams and held out their hands, shouting for Cassian to hurry. The ship began to pull away from the roof.

At the last second, they jumped. For a moment, he was sure they wouldn't make it. Then, the hands of their teammates grabbed them and hauled them into the rescue craft. He looked back as it closed, and saw the dark shape of Darth Vader standing on the roof again. The ship pulled away from the roof and made a premature jump to light speed.

Jyn fell to her knees, coughing, trying to pull enough air through her damaged throat. He dropped next to her and placed a hand on her back. Bodhi knelt next to them.

"Is she okay?" he demanded.

Cassian met his eyes and nodded. "She'll be fine."

"It's a good thing we were passin' by and heard that transmission, Andor," an arrogant voice said. Cassian looked up to see one his least favorite people in the galaxy smirking at him.

Cassian nodded at the Captain of the Millennium Falcon, hiding his distaste. "Good thing," he agreed.

Leia Organa emerged from behind Han Solo. Cassian stood and accepted the urgent hug she gave him. He squeezed her tightly, far beyond grateful to see her. She held onto him for a long moment before pulling away. Cassian noticed Solo's dramatic eye-roll.

"Are you all okay?" Leia demanded. She scanned the team quickly, and turned back to Cassian. "What happened?"

"We were found out. The informant was dead when we got there. They corned us in the safe house and waited until Vader could arrive to collect us himself."

She let out the breath she'd been holding. "You didn't get the information?"

Cassian shook his head. "It died with the man who had it."

Leia took a step back and looked him up and down. "What happened to you?"

"Bolt grazed his side," K-2 answered.

Leia turned to the droid and smiled. "It's good to see you, K."

"Hey, is anyone going to tell me what this is about?" Solo demanded.

"Sorry, classified to anyone not permanently in the Rebellion," Bodhi replied. He didn't like Solo any more than Cassian did.

Han rolled his eyes and walked back down the narrow hall. "Just don't screw with my ship!"

Cassian felt Jyn stand up and turned to her. She was massaging her neck. The fear that had consumed him minutes before crashed down on him, nearly overwhelming him. He grabbed her and drew her into a tight embrace. He didn't care that their entire team and the Princess were right there.

Jyn shoved him back as if he'd burned her. "What the hell was that!?" she snapped.

Cassian's relief vanished into confusion. Her eyes were on fire with a terrible fury, and he couldn't understand why. He glanced at Leia, as if she could tell him. She gave a half-shrug, and turned to the rest of the team.

"I'll run you guys through a quick medical examination," she said. "Come with me."

"I'd rather stay and see Cassian and Jyn fight," Bodhi said.

"Rook!" Baze snapped, dragging Bodhi with him. "Let's go."

"I am perfectly fine," K-2 said.

"Your left arm is on backwards," Leia informed him. "I'll have Chewie fix that."

"I have no intention of leaving after-"

"K, clear out," Cassian ordered.

K-2 looked at his master for a moment. Without another word, he followed the Princess. Cassian knew he'd have to smooth things over with K if Jyn left him alive at the end of this.

Once they were all out, he turned back to Jyn. She was practically seething.

"You were going to take my place," she stated.

He didn't see why she should be so mad about that. "Of course I was. You were-"

"You were going to give the Empire exactly what they wanted! Just because Vader had me! You should have run!"

"We're all safe. It turned out fine," Cassian pointed out. His tone was unbearably slow, like he was explaining things to child.

"But it might not have!" she snapped. "He would have tortured you, Cassian! He would have used you as an example of what happens to those who defy the Empire!"

"You think I don't know that?" he replied. "But he would have done the same-"

"No! He would have killed me quickly! I didn't have anything to give him because you never let me in on the Rebellion's secrets! Is that why!? Is that why you don't trust me to-"

"Of course I trust you! But the more you know, the more danger you're in. Knowledge is a terrifying power, Jyn."

"So you thought you'd use that 'terrifying power' to sacrifice yourself for me!?"

"Why is this such a surprise to you? I disobeyed direct orders to kill your father. I climbed up fifty feet of database with a shattered hip and fractured spine to make sure you were okay. I risked my life and K's to drag you out of a terrorist camp. Why are you suddenly shocked that I would give my life for you?"

"I'm not shocked. I'm angry!"

"Why are you angry?"

"Because Vader would have destroyed you! I can't lose you because ######, Cassian, I love you!"

Cassian's eyes widened. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Surely he hadn't heard her right. But he watched her expression turn into one of mingled shock and horror as she took a step back, and he knew that he'd heard her perfectly. Jyn covered her mouth, an apology threatening to break free. Neither of them said anything as the weight of Jyn's confession settled between them.

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't known she'd loved him before, but this was different. This was real. This was vulnerability he'd been trying to spare himself from for years. They'd both known heartbreak, and this was just setting themselves up for more of it.

The image of her clawing at her throat as Darth Vader choked the life out of her made Cassian stop. Who was he kidding? It had been real to him for months now.

Jyn watched him process her words, trying to make sense of it herself. She couldn't take it back. She silently begged him to say something – anything – but he didn't.

What could he possibly say that would relate the storm of emotion raging inside of him? Telling her that he loved her didn't feel right. He'd hoped to do that when both of them were calm and collected, and they certainly weren't now.

He remembered his promise to take time off to spend with her. He hadn't taken personal time since he was six years old, and a break was long overdue. He thought for a moment about where they could go, and decided on a small but rather heavily populated planet.

"There's this planet," he said, "near the Outer Rim. It's small, but it's managed to hold off the Empire for decades. We'd be safe, if you still want to take a few days."

He hadn't replied to her confession at all. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but this wasn't it. Her fear of what he'd do, what he'd say, nearly got the better of her. "Okay," she said quickly, before she could change her mind. "How many days?"

"As many as we want. We can discuss that when we get there."

"Will General Draven let us?"

Cassian smirked. "As far as Draven is concerned, we got intel that something big is going down, and went to check it out. Leia will cover for us."

"And the team?"

"We'll tell them the same as Draven. Bodhi's a terrible liar anyway. He'd give us away in minutes."

She considered that for a moment. "I don't think we should lie to them. They're our team."

Cassian swallowed a sudden wave of anger. They'd done nothing to protect her from Vader; what did it matter what they told them? He told Jyn as much.

She shook her head. "You were too busy giving yourself up to pay much attention. Chirrut tried to use the Force to free me. Bodhi and Baze both fired at the same time you did. And K tried to keep you from acting like a lunatic. They all helped."

"What?"

"You didn't think you fired all of those bolts, did you?" She smirked.

Honestly, he'd been too busy noticing that the bolts didn't do much good to realize they weren't all his. He shrugged. "So we'll tell them. But they won't like it," he warned.

Jyn told him not to worry about it, and walked through the ship to find the others. She passed the cockpit. Han Solo glanced back at her and gave her a roguish grin. "Can I help you, Beautiful?"

Cassian heard the remark. He saw Jyn's hand go for her blaster, and caught it before it reached the weapon. "How far are we from the Craine system?" he asked.

"Craine system? That's about seven systems over. Why?"

"Set course for Craine." He wasn't technically a Rebellion pilot; he didn't need to know why.

Solo smirked. "Got a romantic weekend planned?"

Jyn blushed. Cassian's eyes hardened, but besides that he showed no emotion. "Set the course, Solo."

Han smirked again and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Andor."

Cassian found the others sitting around a checkered table. Bodhi and K-2 were playing a holographic board game, Chirrut was staring off into Space, and Leia was wrapping a bandage around a cut in Baze's arm.

"Get everything worked out?" Bodhi asked, smirking.

"We have a new assignment," Cassian replied. "Draven contacted us-"

Jyn gave him a reproachful look. He stopped mid-sentence and sighed. He motioned for her to explain. She rolled her eyes and said, "Cassian and I are taking time off. You're dropping us at Craine, and then heading back to Yavin."

K-2 looked up sharply. "You're taking time off? Cassian never takes time off, so what happened that we all should know about?"

"Why just you two?" Bodhi pried.

"It is a little suspicious," Leia teased.

Cassian and Jyn glanced at each other. He realized that as Captain of the team, it fell to him to discuss potential points of conflict. He took a deep breath, and said, "Jyn and I-"

"Notice how easily he says that?" Bodhi teased.

Cassian continued as if he hadn't heard him. "-had a conversation, and we decided to try something relatively new to both of us."

"What?" K-2 demanded.

"Love," Chirrut replied.

Cassian gave him a harsh look, then remembered it didn't do any good because Chirrut couldn't see it. Bodhi burst out laughing. Baze smirked. Chirrut and Leia both grinned. K-2, however, was less than pleased.

"It'll only end in heartbreak," he said. "The odds of you two actually sustaining an even moderately healthy relationship are 736 to one."

Cassian sighed. "We'll take the chance, then."

"And I suppose you want us to lie to Draven for you, too? There's a 98.3% chance that Bodhi will give you away."

"Consider this training, then."

"Are you sure I shouldn't come and chaperone?"

"Yes," Jyn and Cassian said together.

"Aww, they're already finishing each other's sentences!" Bodhi said.

Cassian groaned and placed a hand on his forehead. "I knew we shouldn't have said anything."

"They'd have found out eventually," Leia said. She looked at Jyn for a moment. "Jyn, I've got something to give you."

Jyn glanced uncertainly at Cassian before following the Princess. Leia led her to a small bunkroom that Jyn guessed must be hers. Leia took something from a box under the bunk and held it out for Jyn to take.

It was a silver ring, thin and simple, with a blue stone set in the middle. Jyn turned it over in her hands, examining it from all sides, before looking at the Princess. "What is this for?"

"Cassian gave me that when I was seventeen. It was his mother's. It's all he had left of her."

Jyn felt something heavy rest in her stomach. So he'd given the princess his mother's ring. He'd failed to mention that little detail. "Why are you showing this to me?" she asked.

"I'm giving it to you," Leia corrected. "Actually, I've been meaning to give it to you since I first saw you two together. I shouldn't have kept it, but I… couldn't give it up."

"Why not? Do you… still love him?" Jyn was afraid of the answer, but she needed to know.

Leia laughed. "No! Cassian's a good friend, but I haven't had feelings for him in years. I kept the ring because it reminded me of what he was like before. He's my oldest friend, and sometimes, I needed the reminder that he was still human." She stopped, and sighed. "I'm getting distracted."

"From?"

"What I wanted to tell you." Leia sat down on her bunk and looked up at Jyn for a moment. "I heard what you told him."

Jyn swallowed and looked down. The insecurities, the doubt, the questions about why he'd never acknowledged her confession, crowded into her mind. Had he ever told Leia that he loved her? He must have, to have given her his mother's ring.

"Jyn, you have to understand… Cassian's a broken man. He's done things he regrets. He's lost… everything. It may take a little while for him to tell you how much he cares about you. Just know that he does."

She paused, waiting for Jyn to reply. When she didn't, Leia continued. "You know, he never looked at me like he looks at you. I was just… someone he tried to spend his time with. But you are so much to him. You've resurrected the man he used to be, and he needs you as much as he loves you. He knows that. Give him time, and patience. He's forgotten how to love. He just needs to relearn it." Leia paused again. "Is any of this making sense?"

Jyn swallowed, and nodded. "Yeah." She looked up from the ring at the Princess. "Thank you, Leia. For the ring, and the talk."

A knock on the open door turned their attention to the captain of the ship. "Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but we'll be arriving at Craine in a few. Hey, Leia, while we're there, maybe we could-"

"Not even if you were the last man in the galaxy," Leia replied.

Han smirked. "Fine, Your Worship, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Leave," she commanded.

He shrugged, laughed, and walked back down the hall. Leia shook her head. "I'm sorry about him. Han's an idiot."

Jyn noticed the blush on Leia's cheeks, and the not quite convincing way she insulted him. She smirked a little. "If you insist."

"Don't you start, too. I've got more common sense than that." She smiled. "You'd better find Cassian before we land." Jyn nodded and turned to go. Leia stopped her before she reached the door. "Jyn? Be good to him. He doesn't deserve anything else."

Jyn promised she would. If nothing else, she would be honest. She put the ring in her pocket, and walked back to her team. They were all silent, and Cassian looked more than a little uncomfortable. Everyone but K looked at her as she strode in.

She read the situation quickly, and stood beside Cassian. "What did they tell you?" she asked quietly.

He looked down at her and managed a half-smirk. "It appears you have a lot of overprotective brothers."

She looked back at the group, and smiled a little. They felt the ship enter the atmosphere of Craine, and everyone took hold of something. Once they'd made a safe landing near one of the major cities, Leia opened the door.

Baze stood up and gave Jyn a one-armed hug. He gave Cassian a threatening look. "Take care of my little sister," he said.

Cassian nodded. "I intend to."

Bodhi gave Jyn a brotherly hug and told her to be safe. Chirrut gripped her hand and gave it a squeeze. Cassian crossed his arms and waited for Jyn to finish saying her goodbyes.

K-2 walked over and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "If you're not back in five days, I'm coming to get you."

Cassian sighed. "K, we're not in any danger here."

"That's not what I meant."

Cassian looked up at his friend, surprised by his meaning. "You don't think I'd desert?"

K-2 cocked his head to one side. "I'm not so sure."

"You know me better than that. I wouldn't leave the Rebellion, and even if I did, I'd take you with me."

K-2 gave a curt nod. "Well that's good to hear. Try to resist any human temptations, won't you?"

Cassian smirked. "Afraid of being an uncle?"

"Sentimentality doesn't suit you. I could never be an uncle because a droid and a human could never be brothers. It's biologically impossible."

Cassian shrugged. "Forgive me for trying to make you feel better."

"This is going to become a habit, isn't it? Sentimentality?"

Cassian merely shrugged. They sank into a comfortable silence. Cassian watched Jyn try to get away from Chirrut's speech, and smirked.

"Are you going to tell her?" K asked.

Cassian glanced at him. "Tell her what? That I love her?"

"No. Naturally I assumed you'd get around to that. I meant, are you going to tell her about that undercover mission to Omnibus VIII?"

The excitement Cassian had felt about spending time with Jyn suddenly evaporated at the mention of that moon. He'd done his best to forget about it. It had taken six bottles of whiskey to get his hands to stop shaking after that mission. It was the one that had cost him the leftover fragments of his soul, when he'd finally decided that the Cause was above everything… even morality.

"Well?" K asked. "Are you?"

Cassian took a deep breath and let it out. "We'll see if it comes up." He fixed his dark eyes on his friend. "Five days. If we're not back, come find us."

"Not getting nervous, are you?"

Cassian avoided the question. "How many days do you think it will take me to spill my guts?"

"Six," K-2 replied, as if he'd calculated that answer long ago.

Cassian nodded. "Five days, then."

Chirrut finally finished his talk, and Jyn turned to say goodbye to Leia.

"I thought you were going to be honest with her," K-2 said. "I thought she deserved that."

Cassian thought about Omnibus, and sighed. "Everyone has secrets, K."

Leia walked over to Cassian and wrapped her arms around him. He forced a smile as he hugged her back. She pulled away, her eyes narrowed. She put her hands on his shoulders, his arms still around her waist. "Your heart's pounding," she said. "What are you thinking?"

"Just excited to spend time with the woman I love," Cassian lied.

She wasn't buying it. She read him quickly. "Cassian-"

"You ready?" He turned to see Jyn.

He let go of Leia and smiled. "Of course. Let's go." He looked at the Princess. "Tell Draven we got some information about Imperial movements, and went to check it out."

She nodded. The worry hadn't left her eyes. "Don't do anything stupid," she warned.

He didn't reply. He gave K-2 one last nod, and looked at his team. The mistrust in Baze's eyes almost surprised him.

"Take care," Bodhi said.

"You, too," Cassian replied.

Chirrut smiled. "May the Force be with you."


End file.
